NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2018 Rolls out a Warm Welcome

For OpenTable diners, July 23, 2018, signifies something akin to paradise on earth: the start of NYC Restaurant Week. Reservations are open for this year’s four weeks of summer eating, part of NYC & Company’s signature dining program including a new $26 two-course prix-fixe lunch for daytime diners and three-course prix-fixe dinners with dessert for $42. This is the 26th year of the celebratory program, which never fails to draw mouthwatering specials from the menus of New York’s most festive eateries. In a milestone move, organizers have waived the mandatory third dessert course from lunch specials of previous years. Nearly 400 restaurants inclusive of dozens of cuisines will participate. Here are a few places to try during NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2018.

Aureole
Any time is a good bet on this Bryant Park, Michelin-starred Manhattan staple, but during NYC Restaurant Week is an affordable, ideal chance to experience Aureole. In what they call Aureole’s “clubby counterpart”, the Liberty Room at Aureole is a more chill version of its big sister. This is where pre-theater diners during NYC Restaurant Week will find marinated heirloom tomatoes with Vermont mozzarella and basil pesto for the first course and slow-cooked organic chicken breast with rainbow Swiss chard for the second course, followed by Harry’s berries with vanilla sponge cake, spearmint, and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Make a reservation at Aureole.

The Stanton Social
Share and share alike is the motto at The Stanton Social on the Lower East Side, where the décor is a major bonus. This AvroKo-designed eatery with its sultry nod to 1940s textiles and romantic settings won the James Beard ‘Best New Restaurant Design’ award. Within three levels, diners have their choice of 2,000 bottles of wine among fringe-covered walls, hat box lampshades, and belt-strapped pillows. Noshes will include crispy hard-shell fish tacos, spiced sesame salmon, and Caprese-style ravioli. Make a reservation at The Stanton Social.

Vandal
At 199 Bowery, Vandal guests have a chance to mix and match all over the map during NYC Restaurant Week. Vandal is a globally-inspired restaurant, so expect to find yellowtail crudo, a hearty helping of old-school chicken Parmesan, and, for dessert, vanilla panna cotta on the menu. Stick around for the people watching in the cellar nightclub after dinner. Make a reservation at Vandal.

Le Coq Rico
Poultry lovers visiting Le Coq Rico during NYC Restaurant Week might want to call home and say they won’t be back for a while. This modern take on French-American cuisine maintains a focus on heritage breed, whole-animal chicken, turkey, duck, squab and guinea fowl. There is so much to tempt the palate at Le Coq Rico, especially in the section of the menu devoted exclusively to eggs. For NYC Restaurant Week, Le Coq Rico offers deviled ‘eggz’ with cabbage and cumin salad and the Brune Landaise 120-day-aged poached and roasted chicken with salad and au jus, while the dessert is I’ile Flottante with soft meringue, red praline, and crème anglaise. Make a reservation at Le Coq Rico.

Kingside
Kingside Restaurant has perfected the art of casual romance – where guests can relax into caramel-colored banquettes or snack the night away at the food counter. This Midtown New American restaurant located on the street level of the Viceroy Central Park New York is offering smoked bass crudo, roasted chicken, and chocolate lava cake on its NYC Restaurant Week menu. Make a reservation at Kingside.

Charlie Palmer Steak New York
Few words send steak eaters into a dither like Charlie Palmer Steak New York. This go-to steakhouse is highlighting the beauty of a grilled hangar steak as its main course for NYC Restaurant Week with bacon-potato terrine, woodland mushrooms, and chimichurri, after a fresh take on a first course of charred sweet corn salad with tzatziki, marinated cherry tomatoes, arugula, feta, and lemon dressing. For dessert, sweet treats include profiteroles with caramel and vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Make a reservation at Charlie Palmer Steak New York.

Charlie Palmer at The Knick
At its corresponding chum Charlie Palmer at The Knick, named for the historic 1906 Knickerbocker, guests have an entirely different menu to sample, not to mention the fabulous views from the fourth-floor perch above Broadway and 42nd Street. The first course will be a jumbo lump crab salad in cucumber tomato water with lemon oil and basil crisp, followed by the main course of grilled swordfish golden with beet purée, sweet-and-sour tomatoes, and a rosemary brioche crumble. Dessert is a raspberry clafoutis with crème anglaise and balsamic-honey strawberries. Make a reservation at Charlie Palmer at The Knick.

Beauty & Essex
Save your shopping until after dining at Beauty & Essex during NYC Restaurant Week. One of New York’s truly unique, can’t-miss destinations, the Beauty & Essex concept is devoted partly to its contemporary pawn shop (think vintage jewelry, musical instruments, and artifacts) and just beyond that, to a menu that’s just as memorable. The oohs and ahhhhs begin at a grand circular staircase and two­story chandelier and won’t stop until the last bites of braised short ribs, lemon-pepper ricotta ravioli, and chile relleno empanadas are long gone. Make a reservation at Beauty & Essex.

Tudor City Steakhouse
Guests at Tudor City Steakhouse during NYC Restaurant Week get a couple of extra days to indulge since the restaurant is extending its special menu on Saturday and Sunday. During this time, all meat, chicken, and fish entrees include a vegetable and a starch which makes it a reasonable option for diners who appreciate more food for the money. This Grand Central Terminal neighborhood gem isn’t just for carnivores eager for the restaurant’s signature NY prime sirloin steak or veal porterhouse – it is known just as much for its forward flavor in crab cakes, steak tartare, ahi tuna ceviche, and lobster risotto. Make a reservation at Tudor City Steakhouse.

Scarpetta
Nestled in trendy NoMad, Scarpetta’s menu is a fresh spin on a few classic dishes. The three-course dinner includes a few Scarpetta signatures, like spaghetti with tomato and basil followed by a choice of coconut panna cotta or Valrhona chocolate cake. Make a reservation at Scarpetta.

The Lambs Club
At The Lambs Club, guests have a trio of choices to make in main courses, appetizers, and desserts. The evenings begin in the Mezzanine Bar on Tuesday through Saturday from 5-11PM and Sunday through Monday from 5-10PM. Appetizer options include caramelized sunchoke veloute, Tuscan kale salad with radicchio, crispy parmesan, and Caesar dressing or Italian burrata with sopressata marmalade and pickled peppers. For the main course, diners can choose from Faroe Islands salmon with honeynut squash, Amish chicken with chestnut cream and garnet yam, or the TLC hanger burger with Cabot sharp cheddar, onion ring, and special sauce. Dessert choices include dark chocolate mousse, vanilla cheesecake, or petite fours. Make a reservation at The Lambs Club.

American Cut
At American Cut in Midtown, the party starts with dinner at 5:30PM with a choice of three appetizers, BLT wedge, yellowtail crudo, or ricotta ravioli, followed by main course choices of filet mignon au poivre with foie gras and brandied onions, scallops with local corn, clams, and summer savory, or a Bell & Evans chicken with couscous, tzatziki, and harissa jus. Dessert choices include a Cracker Jack sundae, s’mores custard cake, or passion pineapple sorbet. Make a reservation at American Cut.

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Caroline Potter is the Chief Dining Officer for OpenTable, Inc. She’s a dining trend-spotter and an OpenTable VIP, who dines out more than she eats in and has accrued more than 10,000 Dining Rewards points. Caroline started working in restaurants as a teen and she's since tackled every front-of-the-house job, from bartender and hostess to runner and server. She trained as a chef at Manhattan’s prestigious French Culinary Institute, cooking at L’Ecole. In addition to her role at OpenTable, she has written about food from farm to table for New York City’s famed Greenmarket and Edible Brooklyn and Edible East End magazines. Caroline is also a Certified Master Gardener.